Elizabeth Didato

EDUC 5025 Lesson Plan

7th Grade Science, Desert Ecosystems

May 8, 2016

There are 24 students in this 7th grade science class. Three students are English

Language Learners; L1 for all three is Spanish. Their CELDT scores: two students are

early advanced with speaking, but have limited (intermediate and early intermediate)

reading and writing skills; one student is advanced in speaking and early advanced

reading skills, but is intermediate in writing.

CELDT category S1 (Student 1) S2 S3

Listening 4 4 5

Speaking 4 4 5

Reading 3 2 4

Writing 2 2 3

Big Idea & Essential Questions

Q.: How do living things grow and survive?
Q.: What are the living and nonliving factors that influence life in deserts?

This lesson is part of the unit Ecosystem design: Patterns and Relationships. There
are four activities in this lesson: 1. Warm up (Do Now and discussion), lab set-up, video
and discussion, lab analysis and conclusion.
Learning Outcomes (Content and Language Objectives)
Students can develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of
energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Students can explain how organisms and populations of organisms are
dependent on interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
Students can describe how the growth of organisms and population increases
are limited by access to resources.
Students will contribute to laboratory activity, including collaborating with peers,
gathering data and presenting visual representation/ written report. (ELD Goal)
Students will use scientific vocabulary in written and verbal discourse.(ELD
Goal)

Standards

CA Next Generation Science Standards, Grade 7

MSLS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
MSLS21. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource
availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MSLS23. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among
living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
MSESS21. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earths materials and the flow of
energy that drives this process.

Associated ELA/Literacy Standards

RST.68.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in
a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in
a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table). (MS-LS2-1)

WHST.68.2.af Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of

historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes. (MS-LS1-6)
SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify
information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
(MS-LS1-7),(MS-LS2-3)

CA English Language Development Standards, 2014, Grade 7

Part 1: Interacting in Meaningful Ways

A. Collaborative

Strand 1: Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral

collaborative discussions on a range of social and academic topics. (SL.7.1, 6;
L.7.3, 6)
Expanding
Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions by following turn-taking rules,
asking relevant questions, affirming others, adding relevant information, and
paraphrasing key ideas.
Bridging
Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions by following turn-taking rules,
asking relevant questions, affirming others, adding relevant information and
evidence, paraphrasing key ideas, building on responses, and providing useful
feedback.

B. Interpretive

Strand 5: Listening actively to spoken English in a range of social and academic

contexts (SL.7.1, 3, 6; L.7.1, 3, 6)
Expanding
Demonstrate active listening in oral presentation activities by asking and
answering detailed questions, with occasional prompting and moderate support.

Bridging
 Demonstrate active listening in oral presentation activities by asking and
answering detailed questions, with minimal prompting and support.

C. Productive

Strand 10: Writing literary and informational texts to present, describe, and
explain ideas and information, using appropriate technology (W.7.110;
WHST.7.12,410; L.7.16)

Expanding
b. Write increasingly concise summaries of texts and experiences using complete
sentences and key words (e.g., from notes or graphic organizers).

Bridging
b. Write clear and coherent summaries of texts and experiences using complete
and concise sentences and key words (e.g., from notes or graphic organizers)

Strand 12: Selecting and applying varied and precise vocabulary and other
language resources to effectively convey ideas. (W.7.45; WHST.7.45; SL.7.4,
6; L.7.1,3, 56)
Expanding
a. Use a growing set of academic words (e.g., cycle, alternative, indicate,
process), domain-specific words (e.g., scene, soliloquy, sonnet, friction,
monarchy, fraction), synonyms, and antonyms to create precision and shades of
meaning while speaking and writing.
Bridging
a. Use an expanded set of general academic words (e.g., cycle, alternative,
indicate, process, emphasize, illustrate), domain-specific words (e.g., scene,
soliloquy, sonnet, friction, monarchy, fraction), synonyms, antonyms, and
figurative language to create precision and shades of meaning while speaking
and writing.
Part 2: Learning About How English Works

Strand 2. Understanding cohesion

Expanding
b. Apply growing understanding of how ideas, events, or reasons are linked
throughout a text using a variety of connecting words or phrases (e.g., for
example, as a result, on the other hand) to comprehending texts and writing texts
with increasing cohesion.

Bridging
b. Apply increasing understanding of how ideas, events, or reasons are linked
throughout a text using an increasing variety of academic connecting and
transitional words or phrases (e.g., for instance, in addition, consequently) to
comprehending texts and writing texts with increasing cohesion.
Lesson Plan Sequence of Activities

Do Now (Projected onto a screen)

In your own words, describe photosynthesis. What happens? What does a plant need
for photosynthesis? Write in your notebook.
Also projected for ELL students: En sus propias palabras, describa la fotosntesis. Lo que
pasa? Qu necesita una planta para la fotosntesis? Escribe en tu cuaderno.

T/P/S Students read their ideas to each other, then talk within their groups (teams) for 2
minutes, possibly helping each other improve their descriptions.
Share out, 5 minute class discussion about photosynthesis
Important ideas for students to remember about photosynthesis:
plants absorb sunlight and turn that energy into food,
plants need water and carbon dioxide, as well as sunlight for photosynthesis.

Activity 2, Lab Set-Up

Students are sent to their lab stations with their partners/groups.

At each station, there is:

small aquarium with sand covering the bottom
heat lamp on a stand
"Lab Report" Handout with instructions, data charts, space for note-taking*
measuring cup with different quantities of water
small thermometer
calculator
extra notepaper
colored pencils
*Handouts for ELL students are written in English and Spanish. These are at the
appropriate lab stations.
I project 7 Powerpoint slides, reading them aloud with the class:
1. Question to consider: What are the abiotic factors in a desert?
2. List of items provided with illustrations:
heat lamp = sun
aquarium = habitat
sand = ground
water = precipitation
3. Team Jobs: Data collector, Engineers, Observers, Notetakers
4. Data collector is responsible for recording times, temperatures, volume of water.
5. Engineers work with data collectors and set up the system.
6. Observers watch engineers, take notes and draw illustrations of setup; they also
write or draw ideas that occur to them, insights and questions.
7. Notetakers record the activity step-by-step.

Next, the Procedure is included in Handouts, and projected onto a screen. I read it out
loud as students carry out the steps. (As I read these with the class Ill insure that ELL
students have the bilingual handout and check that they are engaged in the activity.)

Procedure
a.) Notetakers, data collectors: note equipment at stations, include how much water
provided,
b.) engineers: place thermometers in aquarium,
c.) data collectors: record the temperature and the time,
d.) engineers: pour water into aquariums, plug in and position lamps inside aquariums,
d.) observers: look at your aquarium ecosystem and note observations.

(I am circulating through the room while explaining this and as students perform tasks.
English learners S1 and S2 are in different groups and are pre-assigned the role of
Engineer. S3 is pre-assigned the role of Data Collector.)
Activity 3, Video and Discussion
We watch a 5-minute video about different desert regions, their average temperatures,
precipitation, plant and animal communities. I stop the video several times to ask
questions, allow for brief discussions in groups. The video and discussions take about
20-25 minutes. Between video segments, I instruct students to write down at least one
observation, idea or question. Halfway through this activity, I ask Data collectors to
return to their lab stations and record the time and temperature in their aquarium.
Following the video, I give groups another 5 minutes to write down any ideas or
questions they have from the discussions.
(Video: http://www.neok12.com/video/Deserts/zX5c4f010278516f7f7a5a7f.htm)

Activity 3, Lab Analysis and Conclusion**

I circulate through room. As I see groups finishing writing, they are directed back to their
lab stations with the instruction, "Observe whether anything has changed. Do not touch
anything yet. Take notes. Record temperatures if you can see the thermometer."

When groups are at their lab stations, I project and give verbal instructions:
1. Engineers: remove and turn off heat lamps. Data collectors: record time
and temperature.
2. Everyone: observe what you see and consider the following questions.
Discuss questions in your group for 5 minutes.
3. Questions:
a) What has changed? Que ha cambiado?
b) Do you feel any difference in the temperature inside the aquarium?
Se siente ninguna diferencia en la temperatura en el interior del acuario?
c) Is there moisture (condensation) on the aquarium walls? Hay
condensacin en las paredes del acuario?
d) Does the sand look different? Parece diferente el arena?
e) Imagine a week passed. If a plant had been inside the aquarium,
how would the heat, moisture and air have affected it? Si una planta
 haba estado dentro de una semana, cmo el calor, la humedad y el
aire que han afectado?
4. Everyone: Write and draw observations, ideas and questions. Escribir y
dibujar observacines, ideas y preguntas.
**Lab Analysis and Conclusion for ELL students is printed in English and Spanish,
placed at the appropriate lab stations.

I remind groups to collect all pages that they will include in their team Lab report. I
direct the Notetakers to collect each team's report, staple the pages together, then place
them in the inbox.

Additional supplementary material for English Language Learners:

Introduction: What makes a desert a desert?
Essential Vocabulary
Items provided at your station visual aid

Displayed on the walls:

Water Cycle Diagram
Vocabulary Lists with Definitions: photosynthesis, plant growth, energy cycle, etc.
Graphic depicting the stages of plant growth
 Introduction: What makes a desert a desert?
Introduccin: Que hace un desierto en un desierto?

Deserts are primarily defined by their lack of precipitation. They generally get
Los desiertos se definen principalmente por su falta de precipitacin. Por lo general, reciben
10 inches or less rain in a year. Shallow, salty lakes can form temporarily
10 pulgadas o menos lluvia en un ao. Poco profundos, lagos salados pueden formar
following rainy periods. The desert biome covers about one-fifth of earth's surface!
temporalmente siguientes perodos de lluvia. El bioma del desierto abarca aproximadamente
una quinta parte de la superficie de la tierra!

Most of the heat at Earths surface comes from solar radiation. In a desert,
La mayor parte del calor en la superficie de la Tierra proviene de la radiacin solar. En un
sunlight heats the ground through the day, which then heats the air.
desierto, mucha luz solar calienta el suelo durante el da, que a su vez calienta el aire.

At night, heat escapes into space, which causes the temperature in the desert
Por la noche el calor se escapa hacia el espacio, entonces la temperatura en el desierto
to drop very low. In areas that are not deserts, clouds prevent some sunlight from
a caer muy bajo. En las zonas que no estn desiertos, nubes impiden que algo de luz solar
reaching the ground and stop much of the heat from radiating into space. Since the
llegue al suelo y dejar gran parte del calor que irradia desde el espacio. Desde el desierto
desert has very low humidity, few clouds form in the sky.
tiene una humedad muy baja, pocas nubes se forman en el cielo.
.
Essential vocabulary vocabulario importante

rain lluvia sun sol wind viento river ro

lake lago cloud nubes biome bioma temperature temperatura

evaporation evaporaccin solar radiation radiacin solar

ground water aguas subterrneas condensation condensacin

climate clima surface water aguas superficiales heat calor

 Items provided at your station:
(Artculos a su estacin de laboratorio:)

aquarium (acuario) = habitat (habitat)

heat lamp (lmpara) = sun (sol)

sand (arena) = ground (suelo) water (agua) = precipitation (lluvia)

Thermometer to record
Temperature
(Termometro, a apuntar
Temperatura)

Calculator, to determine change in

temperature over time
(Calculadora, para calcular el cambio en la
temperatura con el tiempo)